Faculty
Yan Gu, Assistant Professor
DAN 205 | yan_gu at uml dot edu |
Dr. Yan Gu received her B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Zhejiang University (China) in June 2011 and her Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in August 2017. She was the recipient of the Chu Kochen Scholarship at Zhejiang University, and the Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship and the Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching at Purdue University. She joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell as an Assistant Professor in September 2017.
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Graduate Students
Yuan Gao, Ph.D. student
yuan_gao at student dot uml dot edu |
Yuan Gao received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from China Jiliang University in 2014, and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University in 2016. Yuan developed a keen interest in robotics at a very young age. He decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree in robotics after getting exposed to the fascinating research field of robotics during his M.S. study. Yuan likes math and programming. He also enjoys skateboarding and playing electric guitar in his free time. Maybe one day his robot can skateboard and play guitar with him! Yuan's Ph.D. thesis research is on state estimation, online motion planning, and nonlinear control of hybrid systems with application to legged robot locomotion.
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Amir Iqbal, Ph.D. student
amir_iqbal at student dot uml dot edu |
Amir Iqbal received his B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). He was the recipient of Academic Excellence and Best All-Rounder Awards from IIST. In 2012, Amir joined the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as a Scientist/Engineer. At ISRO, he was responsible for the design, analysis, and realization of Mechanical Ground Support Equipment for satellites. His passion for understanding legged locomotion dynamics and developing controllers for stable and agile maneuver of bipeds led him to begin his Ph.D. study at the TRACE Lab. Amir's current research focuses on modeling, analysis, and control of legged locomotion on nonstationary surfaces.
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Zenan Zhu, Ph.D. student
zenan_zhu at student dot uml dot edu |
Zenan Zhu received his B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from UMass Lowell in 2018. His internship experience at a robotics company motivated him to pursue an M.S. degree at UMass Lowell and explore the research area of robotics. One of Zenan's past projects was the development of a robotics arena for the 5G Verizon Robotics Challenge. Zenan is currently working on state estimation and optimization-based control of ankle exoskeletons for fatigue mitigation.
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Stephen Misenti, M.S. student
stephen_misenti at student dot uml dot edu |
Stephen Misenti graduated from UMass Lowell in 2021 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and with a minor in Robotics. He is now pursuing an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering at UMass Lowell to further his education in the field of robotics. He is also a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Stephen enjoys spending his free time by playing video games, 3D printing, and hiking New Hampshire’s mountains. His research at the TRACE Lab will lead to his thesis on optimization-based planning and control of loco-manipulation.
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Undergraduate Students
Alexander M. Barr
(ME) |
Caroline Bisio
(ME + Robotics) |
Emmanual Aybar Estrella
(ME) |
Daniel Germán George
(ME + Robotics) |
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Cyrus Ghobani
(ME) 
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Richard Kumahia
(ECE) |
Chengyue (James) Li
(ME) |
Luisa Matos
(ME) |
Duy Phan
(ME) |
Aaron Soibelman
(ME + CS) |
Past Members
Richard Kumahia, B.S.C.E, 2022. Now M.S. student at Northeastern University.
Kentaro Barhydt, visiting researcher, 2021. Now Ph.D. student at MIT.
Samuel Burns, B.S.M.E., 2021. Now Ph.D. student at Tufts University.
Dennon Audette, B.S.M.E., 2020. Now Mechanical Engineer at Mayflower Communications Company, Inc.
Marry McCarron, B.S.M.E., 2019. Now Mechanical Engineer at Raytheon Technologies Corp.
Nicholas Deane, B.S.M.E., 2018. Now Project Engineer at David Clark Company, Inc.
Kentaro Barhydt, visiting researcher, 2021. Now Ph.D. student at MIT.
Samuel Burns, B.S.M.E., 2021. Now Ph.D. student at Tufts University.
Dennon Audette, B.S.M.E., 2020. Now Mechanical Engineer at Mayflower Communications Company, Inc.
Marry McCarron, B.S.M.E., 2019. Now Mechanical Engineer at Raytheon Technologies Corp.
Nicholas Deane, B.S.M.E., 2018. Now Project Engineer at David Clark Company, Inc.
Future Students
One funded Ph.D. position is available at the Robotics and Locomotion Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Candidates with a solid background and strong interest in more than one of the following areas are welcome to contact Dr. Yan Gu (yan_gu at uml dot edu) with a single PDF including a cover letter, a full CV, contact information of 3 references, and transcripts.
1. Robotics;
2. Legged locomotion;
3. Mechatronics and mechanical design;
4. Control theories, especially nonlinear control;
5. Optimization;
6. Dynamic systems.
Required qualifications:
1. A B.S. and/or M.S. degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Engineering, or related areas;
2. Strong programing skills (e.g. C/C++, Python, Matlab);
3. Good communication, presentation, and writing skills.
Successful candidates will receive a research assistantship including tuition waiver and stipend.
1. Robotics;
2. Legged locomotion;
3. Mechatronics and mechanical design;
4. Control theories, especially nonlinear control;
5. Optimization;
6. Dynamic systems.
Required qualifications:
1. A B.S. and/or M.S. degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Engineering, or related areas;
2. Strong programing skills (e.g. C/C++, Python, Matlab);
3. Good communication, presentation, and writing skills.
Successful candidates will receive a research assistantship including tuition waiver and stipend.